Philippines: China 'deceptive and misleading' on South China Sea collision

BEIJING (Reuters) -- China and the Philippines traded accusations over a maritime collision in the South China Sea on Monday, the latest in an increasingly testy series of confrontations over the disputed waters.

Meanwhile, hours later, the United States said in a statement it had completed joint naval exercises in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with its treaty ally as well as Japan and Canada.

The China Coast Guard said a Philippine supply ship "deliberately and dangerously" approached a Chinese ship resulting in a slight collision after it "illegally intruded" into waters near Second Thomas Shoal, a charge that Manila rejected as "deceptive and misleading."

Manila declined to comment directly on the incident, but lashed out at Beijing after a China Coast Guard statement said the Philippine transport and replenishment ship ignored China's repeated solemn warnings.

"We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard (CCG)," said Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Philippine armed forces' public affairs office, adding they would not discuss operational details of resupply missions.

"The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region," Trinidad said. The Philippine military maintains that the main issue is the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippine EEZ.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the agency was not in a position to provide any details on Monday's incident as it was not a coast guard operation.

Separately,